The Loire is France's longest and most picturesque river, and the valley that bears its name is known affectionately as le jardin de France (the garden of France). From the Loire's lush gardens, pastures, and vineyards flow a treasure trove of fruits, vegetables, and wines to grace elegant tables throughout France, including those in the most fashionable temples of gastronomy in Paris.

Given the Loire's length, varied terroir, and multitude of microclimates, it is not surprising that this vast region produces a wide array of wines. From the chalky hills on the upper reaches of the river as it bends in sight of Burgundy come several of the world's finest dry white wines in the guise of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon and Quincy – all from Sauvignon Blanc. As the river flows west towards the heart of France, Chenin Blanc predominates and fine, soft sparkling wines and the superlative sweet wines of Touraine and Anjou emerge from green hills in sight of stately châteaux. And by the time the slow moving Loire reaches the sea near Nantes, it becomes the home of Muscadet, a quaffable, fresh, bone dry white wine that is superlative with seafood.

Nearly all of the Loire's greatest wines are white, but one should not miss the growing number of excellent red wines now being made in "the garden of France." Cabernet Franc is the most important red varietal in the Loire, at least in terms of quality, but some very good Gamay based wines can be found as well. Anjou, Bourgeuil, and Chinon are typically the appellations along the Loire most notable for soft, velvety red wines.

Menetou-Salon

Menetou-Salon is an ancient vineyard area along the south bank of the upper reaches of the Loire River in central France. This small appellation of just over 1000 acres was once the personal vineyard of Jacques Coeur, the erudite 15th century banker, councilor and treasurer to King Charles VII of France. Since the 19th century Menetou-Salon has had its own syndicate, and more recently the appellation has expanded and undergone a renaissance in quality.

Today, Menetou-Salon is best known for its fragrant, sophisticated white wines, which resemble those of the nearby appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Sauvignon Blanc is the most important grape variety in the appellation. As an appellation, Menetou-Salon encompasses ten tiny communes, including Menetou-Salon itself. The best vineyards sit upon a bed of limestone that dates to the Upper Jurassaic Period. This unique terroir is known as kimmeridgien.

Although most renowned for its white wines, Menetou-Salon devotes as much as 40% of its production to red wines, most notably Pinot Noir. Quality is uniformly high, due in no small part to the limestone rich soil of the region and a legion of dedicated growers and winemakers who insist upon pushing the envelope on quality.

Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine

Muscadet has the only classified vines in Brittany. This large appellation lies near the mouth of the Loire River, just to the south of the city of Nantes. Sèvre-et-Maine, which occupies the hills above the two small rivers from which the appellation draws its name, is the finest part of the sprawling Muscadet appellation. Two grapes, both white, have traditionally been associated with Muscadet: Gros Plant and Melon de Bourgogne. However, Melon de Bourgogne is a far superior grape to Gros Plant and is now the only grape variety allowed in Muscadet wines that bear the Sèvre-et-Maine appellation. Melon de Bourgogne was brought to Muscadet in the 17th century and was once a permitted variety in Burgundy as its name implies. Although rarely complex or profound, the finest wines of Muscadet provide splendid accompaniments to seafood and can hold their own with many more famous and expensive white wines. Truly, the wine wares of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine constitute presently some of the finest values in French wine.

Savennières, Côteaux-du-Layon, and Quarts de Chaume

The Loire is France's longest and most scenic river. Moreover, it gives rise to some of the world's most distinguished white wines. The Upper Loire, above Orléans, is famous for a myriad of Sauvignon Blanc wines in the guise of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and assorted other place names such as Quincy and Menetou-Salon. However, as one moves downriver towards Touraine and Anjou, other grape varieties come to fore. And by the time one gets to Côteaux-du-Layon and Savennières, Chenin Blanc reigns supreme and no more glorious and immortal white wines are produced in France than those of the finest vineyards of Savennières and Côteaux-du-Layon.

Savennières: Situated west of Angers, Savennières produces small quantities of powerful, long lived white wines of outstanding quality from Chenin Blanc. Nearly all of its meager 12,000 case production is made dry. This splendid appellation includes two Grand Cru vineyards, Roche aux Moines and Coulée de Serrant.

Côteaux-du-Layon: Situated to the south of Angers, Côteaux-du-Layon is the largest appellation for quality Chenin Blanc in Anjou. Most of its wines reflect the decadent, hedonistic side of Chenin Blanc, ranging from soft and fruity to full blown dessert wines that can improve in bottle for decades. Côteaux-du-Layon contains two outstanding Grand Cru offerings in Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux.

Quarts de Chaume: A 112 acre Grand Cru of Côteaux-du-Layon, Quarts de Chaume is reputed to produce the world's finest Chenin Blanc, particularly in splendid vintages with plenty of sun and a dose of botrytis. From a great vintage and in the hands of Baumard and a few other outstanding producers, Quarts de Chaume can be sublime and nearly immortal.